


The Cat

by atesan



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 06:09:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5528912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atesan/pseuds/atesan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Secretly, Slaine wanted a cat.</p><p>This is written as a gift submission for AZ Secret Santa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hiyokko_draws](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=hiyokko_draws).



> This story features Cruhteo and Liesl as parents to Slaine. I consider this the simplified Cruhteos AU but in modern setting.

Secretly, Slaine wanted a cat.

Once, he saw a cat with a beautiful pair of eyes quietly watching him while he waited at the promised spot for his mother to pick him up from school. The cat was not too large nor was it too small. Its coat was white and it has a fluffy tail. The most striking feature of the cat was its eyes. It was a mix of blue and green, with a dash of yellow at the corners of its eyes. Slaine was mesmerized by the sight of the cat that he muttered to himself that the cat was gorgeous.

Gorgeous.

For a seven years old child, the word ‘gorgeous’ was difficult for his vocabulary. Except there was nothing to describe the cat except to call it gorgeous. It wasn’t just its blue-green eyes that captured his sight. The fluffiness of the tail, especially when it moved from left to right and right to left made Slaine wanted to grab the tail and tickle his nose. Mind you, it was his nose he was referring to.

Slaine tried to tell his mother about the cat when she arrived to pick him up but to his absolute surprise, the cat jumped off from its spot and disappeared before he could even tell her. His mother anticipated his story and encouraged him to tell her since he was excited to talk about his new, mysterious discovery but Slaine was too surprised that the cat disappeared that he has no words.

Surprisingly, the next day, the cat was there. It sat on the same spot from yesterday while it watched Slaine in a quiet manner.

However, every time his mother arrived, the cat would run off elsewhere, as if knowing when she was in the area and it needed to avoid her. But why mother? Every time the cat disappeared before he could tell his mother about it, Slaine lost all his excitement. He thought the chance was there but it was always a constant disappointment. He couldn’t hide his emotions well so it became blatantly obvious when his mother mentioned his dull, sullen face. Slaine often excused it as nothing and his mother accepted it as such.

She couldn’t help but wonder.

Over lunch on a weekend, when it was only the two of them together since his father was outstation, his mother finally asked her son the question. “Is everything all right for the past few days, Slaine? I am willing to listen if you are willing to share with me,” she said, her expression neutral but hopeful. Slaine might not be aware of it but his mother was quite concerned of his change in behaviour. He was not a difficult child to raise but she did think he was too quiet for his current age.

He was shy but even a shy child around his age was able to interact with other children when grouped together, at least, there was an attempt for interaction. Her son, her baby, her Slaine, seemed to create an imaginary box to isolate himself from others. It was worrying to see him play by himself when other children had fun chasing each other. Often she wondered why none of the children bothered to ask her son to join their group play but her own observation revealed that before the other children could ask him to join them, he moved himself away from the group. Children had short attention span so once Slaine removed himself from their presence, he was forgotten by them until he made himself known.

Two years in preschool was enough to make his mother worried of his social development that she was unsure if she should actually send her son to primary school. Fortunately, when Slaine entered his first year of school, the class teacher, Miss Orlane was helpful enough to monitor his progress and assist him in class participation. It was a slow progress and it took a lot of encouragement as well as positive thoughts but he was in a better situation than before.

Back to the current situation—

“There’s really nothing.”

When her son said it was nothing, Liesl knew he was hiding something from her. Perhaps it would be more believable if his expressions were genuine but Liesl spent a lot of time with her only child that she wouldn’t fail to notice the small things that Slaine didn’t know about himself. Placing the knife she was using to cut the fruits, she walked toward Slaine’s side and sat next to him. Facing him, she framed his face with her hands. “Slaine, whenever you tell me it’s nothing, it means you have something to tell me. Please, if it is all right, tell me what is inside your mind?” she asked.

Meanwhile, Slaine was juggling between telling his mother about the cat or keep silent about the cat. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he wondered if his mother would be angry if he refused to talk about the cat. Still, he never actually see her get angry except for the occasional scolding she often gave his father but aside from those moments, she was never angry. “You won’t be mad?”

Liesl was glad that he was slowly building his confidence even though it took a bit of a push. Giving gentle strokes on his back, Liesl replied, “I don’t have the answer unless a certain someone tell me what is on his mind.”

“Oh.” Slaine made a nervous laughter before he started to giggle and covered his mouth, telling his mother behind his muffled laugh that he didn’t know how to start.

Liesl joined in the laughter but suggested he start from the time he wanted to tell her something when she arrived to take him home from school but immediately dismissed the thought. “Perhaps we can start from there?”

Slaine stared at his mother. How was she able to detect that he was concerned about that matter? Still, Liesl waited and gave him a silent encouragement. Thinking it was a good sign, he began his tale. “I once saw a cat.”

“You saw a cat?”

Slaine began to tell his mother about the cat that would watch him while he waited for her to bring him home from school. He mentioned it was a white cat with the fluffiest tail he ever saw but he didn’t forget to mention about the cat’s eyes. “Mama, the cat’s eyes are gorgeous! I don’t know if it’s blue or green but it has both colours!”

He continued further, marvelling at the sight of the cat. “I wanted to tell you but the cat is gone when you come to take me home.” Liesl asked him why he didn’t tell her about the cat even though it disappeared and Slaine said that she wouldn’t believe in him.

For a moment, Liesl felt that she should be upset but she wasn’t. Her son didn’t know that she wouldn’t call him a liar even if she couldn’t see the cat. Caressing his left cheek, she told him, in earnest. “Slaine, at the very least, I would still listen even if the cat isn’t there.”

“I didn’t know.” Slaine bit his lips and Liesl responded by patting the same cheek she had her hand on.

Liesl asked her son if the cat appear again after the first time it occurred. Slaine’s eyes brightened up when he saw his mother being interested in his story about the cat.

“The cat did but it ran away when it knew you were there. It happened a lot of times that it made me sad when I couldn’t tell you about the cat.” He began to sulk.

Liesl comforted him, expressing her thankfulness for his willingness to share his story. “Thank you for telling me about the cat, Slaine. Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

Slaine looked at his mother and was unsure if he should even ask about that particular question. “N-nothing.”

Here we go again, Liesl thought.

“Nothing means something, my dear.”

Slaine sighed. His mother was relentless! “...Well.”

“Tell me?” she coaxed.

There was no turning back, Slaine told himself. He took a deep breath, jumped down from his chair and went closer to his mother. Hugging her, he whispered to her ears. “Can I adopt a cat?” he asked.

For a brief moment, Liesl was silent but she did not let go of her son from their hug. For a brief moment, Slaine thought his mother was not happy to hear his request. Was it something he said? Did he say the words wrong? Perhaps his mother didn’t like cats? “Mama, are you all right?” he squeaked, struggling to look at her expression.

Liesl finally responded but not before giving a firm kiss on her son’s face. “A cat!” she cried, laughing while hugging him even tighter. “Why didn’t you tell me about this ages ago, Slaine?”

“Eh?” Despite surprised with his mother’s positive reaction, Slaine didn’t waste much time to be excited about the prospect of owning a cat. “Is this for real? I can have a cat of my own? Really, mama? Mama, is this true?”

It would be a nice day for celebration until Liesl dropped the bomb. “I don’t mind if you want to have a pet cat but this isn’t the only obstacle you have to go through.”

“Obstacle?” he asked, not quite understanding the meaning of the word.

Liesl didn’t want to ruin her son’s mood after it was obvious he was really excited of having a cat of his own but there’s one problem he needed to solve: his father.

“Your father will return home soon. Perhaps it is best to ask him if it is all right to have a cat in this house.”

All the excitement on Slaine’s face was immediately replaced with horror. “Dad...? I have to ask him about the cat? But... But... I can’t. Mama, I cannot!”

“You have to try and ask him, Slaine. I am sure—”

Slaine shook his head, slightly pushing his mother away from him. “Mama, I can’t do that! Dad... Dad... Dad... He won’t approve of my request to have a cat. He won’t like it. He doesn’t like it. I don’t want him to get mad. I don’t want him to get angry. I don’t want him to be upset with me. I... I am scared.” He began to sob, tears starting to form at the corners of his eyes.

“Slaine.” Liesl’s call for her son was gentle as she tried to comfort him. “It is all right. Don’t be scared of your father’s reaction. Just ask him and he will consider. Shh.”

It was too late as Slaine began to cry. “No, mama... Mama... You have to ask him. You have to ask him. Mama... You have to ask him about the cat... Please, mama...”

“Slaine...”

Slaine’s cries just got even louder. “Mama...”

Evening, later that day—

Liesl patted Slaine’s head while he slept on her lap. His breathing was calm and quiet. Sometimes he murmured incomprehensible words which made Liesl smiled. It took her a while to calm him down from his earlier outbursts. Not that she blamed him for his behaviour. It was unfair to give him false hope, even though...

There was a sound at the door. Liesl couldn’t get up since her son was on her lap but she guessed it could be her husband. He was supposed to return from his outstation trip since he left a week ago. It was not the first time he was outstation but Liesl missed him so. Even Slaine would snuggle with her and ask about his father, despite his fears.

“Liesl...? Slaine...?” a person called from the door, dragging his suitcase into the house after taking off his shoes. “Hello? Is there anyone at home? Liesl, where are you?”

Liesl recognized the voice and her mood was instantly lifted. Careful not to wake Slaine, she turned slightly around to answer his call. “Theo! I am inside the living room.”

“Oh? There you are, Liesl. I thought no one is at home.” It was Cruhteo. His hair was no longer styled like the usual. It was a mess and he couldn’t care less because he was home at last. Liesl offered him a hand since that was all she could do since her son was sleeping on her and he accepted it to give a soft kiss at the lips. “Hello, dearest.”

It has been a while since she last kissed him that she was glad he still tasted the same. Her Cruhteo. Her lover. Her husband. The father of their child. “I wish I can greet you at the door but Slaine is sleeping on my lap.” Cruhteo patted Slaine’s head, glad that his son was healthy. “I can’t possibly wake him up after the suffering I give him earlier.”

“What did you do to the poor child that he has to suffer so much, Liesl dearest?” Cruhteo teased her. He was in a good mood despite being exhausted after his travel.

Instead of revealing the truth, Liesl gave him a knowing smile as she pulled him closer for another kiss. “Time will tell, but for now, I really miss you.”

“I miss you as well. I miss you both.”

The next day, during breakfast—

“Dad?” Slaine’s sleepy voice called after his father. “When did you get back?” he asked, surprised to hear his father when he unexpectedly woke up several minutes ago. He thought he was imagining his father’s voice but as he stepped down from the stairs, the voices got louder. Slaine knew that his father was indeed home.

Cruhteo paused from talking to Liesl as he saw Slaine enter the dining room. “Good morning, Slaine. It’s about time you wake up.” He was further amused when he saw Slaine’s condition. He was still wearing his pajamas, one hand holding his pillow and his hair was how one would describe the bed hair that one would never be able to fix.

“I am sleepy.”

Liesl chuckled since it was quite obvious her son was still sleepy but he was still able to stand at the doorway, pretending to not being sleepy. “Darling, you can always go back to bed and sleep a little bit more.”

“True. We have nothing important planned for today so it’s all right to be lazy. Still, I miss your greatest presence for a long time, Milord Slaine. Thank you for granting us poor subjects your delightful presence. We truly appreciate it, milord.”

It seemed Slaine was too sleepy to understand Cruhteo’s declaration but his response later was priceless. Cruhteo burst out laughing when he heard Slaine said sure.

“So, are you going to go back to bed or not?” Cruhteo asked.

Slaine shook his head, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. “I don’t know. I am sleepy so I want to go back to sleep but I am hungry. I think I can even eat an elephant.”

“Eat an elephant, huh? Well, it seems that your mother has prepared a special breakfast for us.” Cruhteo cast a glance at Liesl with the intent of provoking her. Liesl shrugged, slapping her husband’s shoulder lightly as she went around to bring out the plates. “There’s nothing special about the breakfast. It’s the usual thing I often made.”

“Still, even an usual breakfast dish can become a special dish if one allows it.” Cruhteo’s eyes followed his wife as she prepared the meal while Slaine dragged his pillow to the dining table and climbed the chair with a little push from his father. “I haven’t brushed my teeth.”

“You can brush your teeth after breakfast.”

Liesl prepared Slaine’s plate, making sure he has twice the amount that he usually get since she was feeling generous. She also prepared her husband’s and her plates before bringing them to the table. Slaine was excited to receive two extra pieces of potato cutlets while Cruhteo demanded to know why he didn’t get extra pieces like Slaine’s.

“You can take extra cutlets yourself. We have more than enough.”

“I want to be pampered as well.”

Liesl’s response to the statement was an intense glare that Cruhteo immediately looked at his plate instead of her face. Slaine was oblivious to the situation as he was more concerned of his potato cutlets. “Mama, it’s really big!”

“Yes, since I know you like to eat them.”

“Thank you!” he cried, taking a bite out of his potato cutlet.

Liesl made other dishes aside from the potato cutlets but it was Slaine’s favourite and Liesl made sure to make extra since he liked to eat them. Despite saying that the breakfast meal was the usual, it felt special because Cruhteo was at home and their small family was completed again.

The best thing about having breakfast together was watching their son eat. It was rather amusing since he was sleepy earlier but now eating like there was no tomorrow. “It’s delicious!”

Once breakfast was over, the family remained at their seat to chat. Liesl thought it was the perfect chance to bring up the topic of Slaine’s wish to adopt a pet cat. “Umm. Slaine, isn’t there something you want to tell your father?” she asked, initiating the conversation.

Slaine was startled for a bit.

“What is it, Slaine?”

Liesl gave a nod of encouragement while Cruhteo was genuinely curious but Slaine didn’t know what to answer. “Umm...” he began, both his heart and mind racing as he tried to find the scrambled words for his parents. “I don’t know if I should even say this.”

“Don’t be afraid.”

If only he had the confidence!

Instead, the words that came out was: “I miss you a lot, dad.”

Later, the bedroom—

“Was Slaine supposed to say something entirely different to me?”

Liesl sat on the edge of the bed with her back facing Cruhteo as she looked at the wall. Mundane thoughts were playing inside her mind. “I suppose he was?”

“Liesl, don’t play riddles with me. What did Slaine want?”

Sighing, she let herself fall on the bed. Cruhteo leaned over her as she stared at him. Her hands cupped his face as she said, “I asked him to ask you about his special request.”

“Request?” he asked.

His wife stroke his cheeks. “Yesterday, I asked Slaine to tell me about a story. He said it was nothing at first but I pleaded with him to tell me since it was bothering him a lot. It was fascinating to see him so excited about it since he wouldn’t stop talking and I couldn’t bear to stop him. When I asked him why he didn’t tell me earlier, he thought it was because I would get angry with him.”

“Exactly what was his story about?”

Liesl smiled, finally admitting defeat to Slaine’s request that she help him tell his father. “Alas, I have to help him relay his wish to you.”

“Liesl?”

“He was talking about a cat.”

Cruhteo watched his wife’s face, seeking a hint of teasing but there was none. Through silent conversation, he knew she was not kidding about her words earlier. “Explain a bit more about this cat.”

“He said it was a white cat with fluffy tail, but the most striking feature of the cat was its eyes. It was a mix of green and blue. Perhaps there was a dash of yellow as well?”

Cruhteo seemed to be thinking of something but he needed more information about the cat. “Where did he see this cat?”

“He said the cat would watch him while he waited for me to pick him up from school. Remember the spot where we asked him to wait? I suppose it was somewhere around there.”

Supposedly? “Strange, did you not see the cat?”

“Apparently Slaine said that the cat ran off when it sensed I was in the area. The boy was so distraught when he couldn’t tell me about the cat since the cat simply vanished from sight. It was because of his mood changes that I thought something was wrong.”

Liesl turned around and sat next to Cruhteo, telling him that Slaine wanted to adopt a cat but when Liesl asked him to ask him for permission, their son went into hysterics. “He was afraid that you would reject his request. He wanted me to ask you but I said he should try to ask first.”

“So that’s what this morning was all about?”

Liesl leaned closer to her husband, seeking his warmth. “It’s my fault. I gave him false hope after showing my excitement for his interest in cats by forcing him to ask you. You don’t approve requests easily.”

“Did you tell him that I actually liked cats?”

Liesl stiffened.

“I did not?”

Cruhteo began to grumble.

“Why didn’t you?”

Oh, the cat’s out of the bag.

“I was expecting you to tell him when he actually ask!”

Cruhteo harrumphed, folding his arms across his chest.

“Fine. Since he has no idea, he still believes I will deny his wish?”

“I believe so.”

Facepalming himself as his wife tried to make excuses, “Oh, Liesl. How can this matter get so complicated? It would have been easier if you actually tell him I like cats so it wouldn’t be such a problem later on.”

“I was hoping it will make the two of you closer!”

“I understand but really, how are we going to solve this matter?”

“Get him a cat, then?” she suggested.

“The issue here, he wants that particular cat, right?”

“That’s…” For once, Liesl stopped to consider what Slaine actually wanted. “It just that we don’t know how the cat looks like except for a vague description Slaine told me. There’s a lot of white cats. Even if we can isolate them based on tails, it’s still a lot!”

Cruhteo tried to dig the matter further. “Slaine mentioned about the cat’s eyes, didn’t he?”

“Yes.”

Blue… green…?

“The cat has a dash of yellow at the corner of its eyes?”

Liesl didn’t recall if Slaine mentioned which part of the eyes exhibited the colour but she did know the cat’s eyes were gorgeous. “Does it somehow ring a bell?”

“I have a general idea.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I am going to go on a cat hunting.”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to catch that cat.”

“Eh? What if the cat belongs to someone else?”

“I don’t know. Besides, we used to have a cat in this house.”

“Cruhteo?”

Somewhere, later—

It was impossible for Cruhteo to forget about the cat. His wife might have forgotten about how the cat looked like and Slaine probably didn’t have an idea about the cat because he was still a toddler back then.

But Cruhteo wouldn’t forget.

The cat has a pair of gorgeous eyes.

Blue and green with a dash of yellow?

He walked around the area where Slaine usually waited for his mother to pick him up from school. If the cat was able to watch Slaine but hide himself from Liesl, it should be hiding at a place hidden from public view, such as the small alleyway. “There!” he pointed.

Nevertheless, searching the alleyway didn’t bring forth any results. The cat was not there. There didn’t seem to be a trace of the cat. Even if there was, it would be hiding since Cruhteo first stepped in the area. Still..

“Tharsis!” he called out.

He waited for response but there was none. Cruhteo did not give up. He tried again, his voice a little louder. “Tharsis!” he shouted. “Come on out! I know you are somewhere in this area!”

He called for Tharsis again.

Cruhteo checked his wristwatch, waiting. He was sure the cat would come – if the cat Slaine was referring to was indeed the cat whose name he called earlier – Tharsis.

He heard small footsteps approaching him.

Then he heard the soft, familiar meow.

Cruhteo turned around to check on his surprise and he thought he was dreaming.

“I’m surprised you are still alive after all these years.”

The cat meowed, bowing its head as a form of greeting. Cruhteo couldn’t help but smirk at the cat’s behaviour.

“It has been five years, Tharsis.”

How dare this cat ran off from its own home?

“You are in a lot of trouble.”

Later, really later—

Cruhteo did not say a word after he returned from his brief trip outside. Liesl tried to coax the truth out of him but he told her time would tell. “Don’t start sulking because I refuse to tell you about my secrets.” When he saw his wife started to sulk, he laughed. “Goodness, Liesl. You are no longer a child. There’s no need to act out the things I said.”

“What are you keeping from me?” she asked.

He shook his head, insisting that it was meant to be a secret. “You will find out soon.”

“When?”

He kissed the top of her forehead before whispering, “Soon.”

Liesl smacked his chest as retaliation.

A few hours later—

Cruhteo called for a gathering which was small considering their family consisted of three people. Slaine sat on the couch as he waited for his parents to come into the living room. Several minutes later, Liesl came into the room and sat next to her son. “Where is dad?” he asked.

“I have absolutely no idea.”

Slaine thought his mother sounded different than usual. She seemed to be upset. “Mama?” he called, touching her dress sleeves.

“Oh, don’t worry about me, Slaine. I am not upset with you. I can never be upset with you, unless it’s your father. He’s keeping secrets from me and I am not happy to hear about this.”

“Secrets?” he asked, before saying that he too kept secrets from his father. “I didn’t tell him about the cat and how much I wanted to have one as a pet. He should be upset that I didn’t tell him.”

Cruhteo’s reply startled them both as he appeared at the doorway. “Indeed, I should be upset but I wouldn’t since I have no need to be upset. I did appreciate you saying you miss me because I did miss you, Slaine, but if you really wanted a cat, it shouldn’t be difficult to ask from me.”

“Dad!”

Liesl didn’t expect Cruhteo to simply state the facts out loud since she didn’t even mention to Slaine that she already told Cruhteo about his request. “Cruhteo?”

Cruhteo held a large, circular box with a bow on top of the cover. “I have a special present for you, Slaine.”

“Inside such a large box?”

Cruhteo smiled as he handed the box to his son. “It should be easy to guess what’s inside this box.”

“Dad!” Slaine shrieked as he held the box. “Thank you so much!”

Liesl’s heart was racing. Cruhteo did not actually search for the mysterious cat? Even if he did, certainly the cat belonged to someone else? He didn’t actually kidnap the cat as he said he would! “Cruhteo, it cannot be possible.”

Slaine didn’t care about anything else but the surprise inside the box. His heart was beating fast but he was so excited in anticipation of what’s inside the box. Could it be a cat?

The moment Slaine took off the box’s cover, the surprise jumped out and surprised Slaine. It was the cat that watched him while he waited at the promised spot for his mother. The cat with the gorgeous eyes! “I can’t believe it, dad! How did you find the cat?” he cried, excited of his gift.

“I have my ways.”

Liesl was genuinely worried that Cruhteo actually resorted to kidnapping to get the cat (it could be someone’s pet!) but seeing the cat in her presence made her realize there was something familiar about it. “Wait, that fluffy tail?” she murmured, focusing on the cat as it interacted with Slaine. “Those eyes… Oh dear, it cannot be possible!”

“I am surprised myself but it is possible, Liesl.”

Liesl concluded the cat was not a stranger. “It’s Tharsis?”

“Tharsis?”

Liesl stared at her son as the son stared at his mother. “Mama, the cat already has a name?” he asked, his eyes round with genuine anticipation. Liesl couldn’t help but nodded, confirming that the cat’s name was Tharsis. “Wow, what a beautiful name for a gorgeous cat!” he cried, petting the cat with gentle strokes. “Nice to meet you, Tharsis!”

Slaine introduced himself to Tharsis. “My name is Slaine. Your name is Tharsis. From now on you will be staying inside this house, with me, dad and mama!” he said.

As Slaine’s focus was entirely on Tharsis, his father led his mother outside of the room. There was a lot of explanation to do and Cruhteo began by explaining his reaction was the same as Liesl’s. “Believe me, I had no idea it was Tharsis when I found it.”

“I thought we lost Tharsis a few years ago?”

Cruhteo didn’t deny that fact. “We did, but it was lucky to be able to survive on its own. There was no collar around its neck so there’s a lot of chances of it being taken away by strangers. Five years is a long time for a cat.”

“I honestly can’t believe that it is Tharsis we are seeing right now.”

“Indeed. I am not sure if we should even tell Slaine that Tharsis is actually our housecat.” It would be interesting to see Slaine’s reaction even though he would ask why he couldn’t remember playing with Tharsis prior to this.

Liesl thought about it and decided not to tell Slaine. “How about we don’t?”

“Why?”

“I don’t think it matters if Tharsis used to be our cat. For Slaine, the cat now belongs to him. I think it’s fair enough since we obviously didn’t do a good job taking care of Tharsis in the past.”

“Well, when you put it that way, I guess there’s no need to tell him then.”

Liesl was glad for the happy event. “I was worried you turned into a cat thief.”

“Trust me, I would have taken that chance if Tharsis didn’t turn out to be mine.”

**Author's Note:**

> Guess if Tharsis is a male or female cat?


End file.
